Endless Wire
by JoJones451
Summary: Ten years ago, a war was fought, and a man was cursed. In a different world, this man would die from that curse, but this is not that "different world." The man was healed, and so he changed the system. Like the people who had once hired him, he rigged the next Holy Grail War to be in his favor. A Fuyuki City Holy Grail War to {END} the Fuyuki Grail Wars.
1. Prologue-Bring the Boys Back Home

**Endless Wire**

**Prologue: Bring the Boys Back Home**

-(=O=)-

"Here kids, let me tell you a story," the old man said, as the children sat down around him. "This is a story about a family. A family who was divided by a war."

One of the children raised his hand. "Is this another story you saw in your Kaleidoscope?"

The man laughed. "No, it is not. This is a story that actually has occurred, rather than a story which only may occur."

The children remained quiet after that, most likely because of their confusion as to what the old man said.

"Moving on, this is a story about a war. However, this was was unlike other wars. This war was fought to determine who would get a legendary magical artifact. The war was brutal for some, and rather tame for others, but, in the end, it did not matter, for no man or woman who fought got the artifact, and the town surrounding the artifact was bathed in flame."

The man adjusted himself in his chair before he continued to speak. "This fire killed many innocent people. One of the men who fought in the final battle of the war survived until after the war however, despite the fact that he had been poisoned during his battle. But, this is not a story of that war."

"This is a story of the war that followed that, ten years later, in which there were twice as many combatants, who created two factions which are simply referred to as "Red" and "Blue." The man who survived the previous war led the "Blue" faction, while a magus who was related to the man led the "Red" faction. The Blue faction's mission was to save the world by destroying the artifact, and the Red faction's mission was to prevent the artifact's destruction, for their own greed."

The man grinned as he looked at each of the children, before he resumed speaking. "Now, our story started, one day in February, when it was long past your bedtimes, when the man accidentally released something horrible upon the town…"

-(=O=)-

It could only be described as hell. A raging inferno, which claimed the lives of all that entered it. The boy stumbled forward through the flames, walking as if in a daze, the look on his face completely uncaring about anything. This boy had given up. His family was dead, and as far as he knew, he would die too.

It's not like he had anyone to save him, after all. Although, people were dying left and right- including those who would save a neighbour, friend, or complete stranger, but in turn, get caught and die in agony. The boy stumbled on, before collapsing himself, into a pile of rubble. He stretched his arm out in a futile attempt to climb up, almost as if he wanted to continue walking.

As it fell, a man wearing a black suit and trench coat caught the boy's hand, while tears streaked down the man's face.

"He's alive!" he said. "He's alive, thank you, thank you!"

The boy started to fall unconscious as a man draped in red and black appeared, and started yelling at the first man. The first man had pulled out something, something that glowed gold, and left it with the boy, before turning towards the man in red.

The last thing the boy saw, before he slipped into unconsciousness, was a flash of red and the man in red as he produced another golden object.

On that day, the Fourth Holy Grail War ended in disaster. On that day, a boy lost his family. On that day, a man named Kiritsugu Emiya gained a new family.

-(=O=)-

[Nine Years, Five Months Ago]

Kiritsugu opened his eyes slowly, and just lay in bed, listening to the chirping of the Cicadas. It was early September, and the Fourth Grail War had been over for seven months. He climbed to his feet, and put on some clean clothes. A black suit was his choice, as per usual. He left his room, and walked down to the dining room, as the early morning sun glowed through the windows.

He entered the room, and sat across the table from his son. Shirou, he named the boy, when he first brought him to an ambulance. He had adopted the boy after the fire, as Shirou's entire family had died in the raging inferno that consumed the city. Kiritsugu smiled as the boy munched on a piece of toast, and started to eat as well, comfortable in his daily life.

Except, for the fact, that in a handful of hours he was going to rig one of the places that makes Fuyuki City so special with several kilograms of C-4 plastic explosives. No, he wasn't a terrorist. He was a man who currently was planning on using a tiny bit of magecraft in combination with a few timers to set off the explosives thirty years into the future to destroy the town's ley lines to prevent the Grail from gaining enough mana to start again.

And so, after his son left for school, Kiritsugu left his home as well, as he entered his car and drove to Ryuudou Temple. Once he reached the temple grounds, he climbed out of his car, and exhaled, his breath condensing slightly in the brisk morning air.

He walked over to his trunk, and popped it open, and revealed a duffel bag and, once the man made sure that there was no one nearby, he peeled back a section of carpet revealing a plastic box, which, in truth, was a case that contained one of the many Glock 17's he owned.

He slung the bag over his shoulder, and picked up the pistol and three magazines. One he slid neatly into the grip, and, racking the slide, made sure that a round was loaded, the other two he hid inside the interior pockets of his trench coat.

He closed the trunk of his car, and slipped into the forest surrounding the temple. He was looking for a cave entrance to under the temple, and while it may be faster if he actually went through the temple, it'd be very likely that he would be caught with a bag full of plastic explosives and a pistol.

That was why he spent an hour looking for a cave entrance that would allow him to access the ley lines under Ryuudou Temple. As the temple was the gateway for Fuyuki's ley lines, all of the ley lines intersected at this location. So, he figured it would be like four wires which converged into a single wire. You cut the primary wire, and the other four can no longer carry electricity. In a way he was correct, although it wasn't exactly like he assumed, but it was similar.

So, once he found the cave entrance, marked by a surprisingly well maintained trail and, of course, a bounded field around the area. Kiritsugu looked and found the origin point of the bounded field, and shut it down easily. He descended into the cave, and began to work on what placing and arming C-4 on the 'hub' of the ley lines.

Over the past several months, he had delved into what little spells he had on the Emiya Family Crest, and found one that he could perfectly use with a bit of modification. Nearly twenty years before, when his father was still alive, the elder Emiya had perfected putting an item into stasis permanently, often creating flowers that would never wither or die.

Kiritsugu, on the other hand, was creating timers that would count down from one hour after their activation, but wouldn't actually start counting down for somewhere between thirty or forty years, by using a butchered version of the spell. Despite the spell having bad memories associated with it, Kiritsugu still used the spell.

Once his work was finished, he scaled back down the cave to the entrance, where he heard the click a pistol's hammer being cocked. Kiritsugu turned around, and saw a face he didn't think that he would see for a long time.

Tokiomi Tohsaka, confined to a wheelchair as a result of Kariya Matou during the Fourth Holy Grail War, sat beside him, a Smith and Wesson Model 29 Revolver pointed at Kiritsugu. The Tohsaka patriarch, for lack of a better term, looked like shit. His hair was messy, and the man's once so cared for goatee was now shaved off completely. His clothes were creased, and his skin pale, a sign that the man had been spending too much time indoors. However, the man's eyes were still full of determination and power, showing that inside, he was still very much a very strong Magus.

Kiritsugu looked at the man, and chuckled. "I guess I am out of touch," he muttered, before drawing his Glock and aiming it at Tokiomi.

"Emiya, what was it that you were doing in there?" the man asked, the revolver still pointed at Kiritsugu's side.

Kiritsugu reached into his duffel bag, and removed a leftover brick of C-4 from inside. He tossed it onto Tokiomi's lap, and replied with "What do you think?"

The man's eyes widened, and a look of shock appeared on the other man's face. The other Magus keeps the revolver aimed at Kiritsugu as he looks at the explosives. "You're planning on destroying the ley lines, aren't you?" he stated.

Kiritsugu nods, his Glock still pointed at Tokiomi. "It's to prevent the next Grail War from occurring. Thirty years from now, the explosives will detonate, and prevent evil that is the Grail from returning to this world," he responded.

Tokiomi looked at him, his eyes full of sorrow. "That's what caused the destruction in the city? The fire released by the Grail?"

Kiritsugu nodded. "Angra Mainyu. Summoned sixty years ago as Avenger. All of the World's Evil's is now in control of the Holy Grail. I won't allow it to return."

Tokiomi lowered the pistol, and placed it away within his jacket pocket. He looked at Kiritsugu, and spoke. "Then there is something we must do. I need you to take me to the Church, Emiya."

Kiritsugu stepped back from Tokiomi, but kept the pistol trained on him. "Why?"

"Because we need to enact a special policy in the Grail. One that will give you the ability to destroy it once and for all."

"Explain."

Tokiomi glanced at Kiritsugu, before he turned away. "Look at your hand, Kiritsugu Emiya, and see what is coming to you," he explained, his voice laced with pity.

The sound of water droplets hitting leaves echoed out, as a liquid fell. Kiritsugu rotated his right hand, and saw blood coming from freshly produced Command Seals on the back of his hand.

"Come, Emiya. If you wish to save the world, then we must act now," Tokiomi Tohsaka said.

And, in the silence, a new friendship was formed.

-(=O=)-

Rin Tohsaka was honestly surprised when she saw her father waiting at her school for her. Her father, in his current condition, normally was not able to come by her school and drive her home, like he or her mother used to.

Alas, that was before the Matou broke his spine and the Archibald killed her mother. Of course, all Rin knew was that an evil man killed her mother and that her father had an accident and had fallen and hurt himself.

She skipped over to her father, who sat in his wheelchair beside a silver car, with a man clothed in black leaning on the hood of the car behind him.

"Father!" she said, excited, her eyes full of enthusiasm. Her father smiled, and couldn't help but be glad that she was excited to see him. While he may be a Magus, after losing his wife during the Grail War, he had come to appreciate the small stuff a little more.

Rin looked over at Kiritsugu and asked "Who's this?"

Tokiomi's expression changed to one of seriousness. "I'll tell you in the car, Rin. Here, climb in."

She climbed in, and once she was in Kiritsugu walked around to the other side and helped Tokiomi into the vehicle, before he took the wheelchair and put it into the trunk of the car. They sped off, towards the other side of the city. They reached a small elementary school, just as the majority of the students began to file out of the building.

A boy with orange hair wandered out of the gate, and he too smiled as he saw his father. Of course, while it was not rare for Kiritsugu Emiya to be at Shirou's school after the bell ended, the boy was still happy to see that man who saved him. He ran to the man, and Kiritsugu greeted his son quietly.

"Dad, who are those people in the car?" he asked as he tried to look over his father's shoulder into the window. The boy's golden eyes kept coming into contact with the girl with the blue eyes who sat in the backseat, who herself was trying to find out what exactly was going on.

"Shirou," Kiritsugu said quietly. Shirou looked at his father. Kiritsugu stared deep into his son's eyes. "Shirou, the man in the passenger seat, he's agreed to help teach you to become a magus."

The boy instantly became excited. Kiritsugu hated to, but he had to interrupt the boy. "Shirou, unfortunately, there will be something that you will have to do for me. Actually, to be honest, not just me, the entire world."

Shirou looked on, unsure of what to say. His father resumed what he had started saying. "If you are to do this, it will likely be the worst thing you will ever experience. You could die, and if you survive, you might not like what you have became."

Shirou absorbed what his father was saying. To anyone, it would appear to be a tough decision. Of course, to Shirou, with his father being a magus, and his father having saved him, he believed that he could do that too.

"Shirou. If you say no, I won't hate you or anything. This is your choice to make."

And so, Shirou agreed. "I want to become a magus," he stated.

Kiritsugu smiled a sad smile, as he gestured towards Shirou to enter the car. Shirou opened the door, unaware that his destiny was to change forever from this point on.

-(=O=)-

Kiritsugu pushed Tokiomi's wheelchair in the memorial park. It truly was a beautiful park, but that was often ignored as it was the place where so many people had died. This, along with how the 'poison' that drenched the city, the curse of Angra Mainyu, which, even to normal people was still detectable. These were the main reasons why people rarely entered the park for long periods of time, which made it a perfect area for Kiritsugu and Tokiomi to speak that evening.

"What was it that you did at the church?" the Magus Killer questioned.

"I activated a backup system that only the Three Families know of," he said, as their children talked excitedly further ahead.

"It allows the summoning of up to fourteen servants. Originally, the system was added in case of the event of all of the Servants banding together. But, now we can use it to summon seven of our own Servants, to form a faction to fight with us."

Kiritsugu stopped walking. "Will it work?"

"Yes, provided that the summoner performs a modified ritual correctly," Tokiomi responded.

Rin and Shirou ran around, each child excitedly talking about what Kiritsugu assumed was magecraft.

"This curse that's plaguing the area," Tokiomi muttered. "You were exposed to it, weren't you?"

Kiritsugu glanced at the other man, before he confirmed his suspicions. "Yes, I was. The curse of Angra Mainyu. Pure, unadulterated evil."

Tokiomi stared sadly into the sunset. "How are you not being affected by it now? How were you healed?"

Kiritsugu sighed. "My servant. Saber. You saw him, what he could do with Archer's Noble Phantasms, with being able to copy them."

Tokiomi nodded.

"Well, during his life, he had experience with a Noble Phantasm. His experience with it made him able to reproduce near perfect copies of it that last for weeks. That Noble Phantasm would heal it's user greatly, extend their lifespan, and it could act as an ultimate shield from harm," Kiritsugu explained. He pushed Tokiomi's wheelchair to catch up to Shirou and Rin. "That Noble Phantasm's name was **[Avalon]**."

Tokiomi glanced at Kiritsugu, before Rin grabbed onto his hand and started asking about when she would next see her new best friend.

And so they went- an assassin, who desperately wanted to have a family, a magus, who just wanted to prevent his daughter from being like him. There was a girl, who wanted to master magic, to become a magus like her father. The last of the group is a boy, who wanted to learn magecraft, who wanted to be like his father, because to him, his father was a hero.

-(=O=)-

The Holy Grail, while a powerful object, can find it difficult to process some Heroic Spirits of exceptional strength, talent, fame, and with large numbers of people who revere them. Even months after a Grail War has ended, those Spirits can exist for months, maybe a year or two, sitting dormant inside the Grail's systems as they are processed.

This is why, when Kiritsugu and Tokiomi activated one of the Grail's backup systems, it declared a state of emergency inside of it. It needed a Servant to be classified as Ruler, it needed to gather enough Mana to support fourteen Heroic Spirits, and, especially after the amount of legendary Heroes summoned in the Fourth Holy Grail War, it needed to lessen the load on it's systems by removing some leftover Heroic Spirits. Fast.

So, it delved into itself, and searched. The King of Heroes wasn't in the system, as he had been given new life months beforehand, and the Knight of the Lake wasn't fit to be a 'Ruler.' It searched, and searched. Those known as 'Saber,' 'Lancer,' 'Caster,' and 'Assassin,' wouldn't fit either, but he…he would work.

And so, it rebuilt him. The Grail, from its own Mana, breathed life into one who had died near the war's end. A hero so widely know, so revered, so incredible, he could only be described as a King, and who better fit to be classified as a 'Ruler' class Servant than he, Iskander, or, to most people, Alexander the Great: The King of Conquerors.

Ruler laughed, as he stood proud to the sky, as his crimson cloak bellowed mightily in the wind. His armour unscared, as was his skin, but his mind contained all of the memories of his previous encounters, of all his victories across the endless deserts, of being a King.

With a mighty grin, he shouted to the stars "I-ISKANDER-THE KING OF CONQUERORS HAS RETURNED TO THIS EARTH AS 'RULER!'"

He shoved his left arm into the air, twenty eight Command Seals, two for each Servant that will be fighting in the upcoming war, proudly displayed. "WITH THESE," he yelled, his voice reaching far and wide, "I SHALL BECOME ALL OF THE GOOD IN THE WORLD! I SHALL BE THE SLAYER OF ALL EVILS IN THE WORLD!"

His grin still plastered onto his face he steps forward, his massive foot crashing into the ground.

"THE GRAIL HAS SEEN IT FIT TO GIVE ME NEW LIFE! THE DREAM OF OCEANUS LIVES ON!"

And so, the first of fifteen Servants was summoned. However, this Servant was not one bound to a Master. Instead, it could be said that the Grail itself was the Servant's Master, and yet, that would not be correct either, for the Grail's corruption does not allow such a thing. This being, this King was not one who could be claimed as a Servant. In fact, like many other Servants seen throughout time and space, he could be described as his own man.

Like a King of Heroes, who sipped wine at the time of a man he legitimately respected returned to the flesh, like another Ruler, the one known as Shiro Amakusa, who received the gift of the flesh in another world. This is not another world, but it is also another world.

This is another world, where Alexander the Great, once again roams the Earth, where he can search to do whatever he felt like doing for the next several years until the Fifth Holy Grail War started. However, in his ear, the Grail whispered it's instructions and commands into his ear, but ear command was ignored, for Iskander had no Master, for the corruption of Angra Mainyu has, in a way, screwed itself over.

-(=O=)-

_a long time ago_

_a **girl** lost her **father**_

_and her father lost the girl_

_but the father gained a **son**_

_but the father_

_wanted his son_

_and his daughter_

_to be **happy**_

_but we can't always_

_get what we want_

_can we?_


	2. Chapter One: Hey You

**Chapter One: Hey You**

-(=O=)-

"In most worlds, during the first year after the Fourth Holy Grail War of Fuyuki City, Shirou Emiya would encounter a little girl on his way home from school one afternoon. There would, in many circumstances, be a small group of children bullying the girl, all because of her hair color," the man said, one of his hands wrapped around the handle of his cane, with the other being waved around to add emphasis of some sort.

"But, in this world, at this day, Shirou Emiya would not see the girl being bullied, because he was not going to his home during this time. He was going to the home of Rin Tohsaka, because due to a 'business trip' that his father had, he was staying at the Tohsaka Mansion."

The man leaned back. "So, the girl was bullied that afternoon, with no hero to step in and save her, and thus, in this world, due to the actions of Tokiomi Tohsaka and Kiritsugu Emiya, the girl named Sakura Matou never met Shirou Emiya until after she entered middle school, and with no hero to protect her, she had to learn how to protect herself."

All of the children nodded. Their interest was peaked by the man's description of Iskander to the world, they had heard his stories of the previous Grail War, with the King of Conquerors.

"Guess what she learned so she could protect herself?" the man asked the children.

The children murmured out various things, such as karate, sword skills, and various other things that children consider to be the "most amazing thing a person can learn for self defense."

"No, she would later learn Magecraft, but that would come at a price, to be a Magus of the Matou family. She would lose much, but, gain much in return."

-(=O=)-

[Nine Years, One Week Ago]

In the time since Shirou Emiya had met Rin Tohsaka, the Emiya house had changed dramatically. When Irisviel von Einzbern first established a workshop in the Emiya house during the Fourth Holy Grail War, it was more-or-less just for the remainder of the war. Since then, with the hard work of Kiritsugu and Shirou, it had transformed into a rather functional workshop in which Kiritsugu could teach Shirou the basics of magecraft.

Of course, Kiritsugu had started using the attic as storage for weapons and equipment, but also as a miniature war room of sorts. Various papers were attached to the walls via pieces of tape, each one detailing what he currently considered critical information. A packed duffel bag was beside him, and grabbed it after he checked all of the intel he had gathered in the room one last time.

In a few short hours, he would be leaving Japan, on a private jet owned by the Fujimura Group. He wasn't sure how long he would be gone for, so he had asked Tokiomi to let Shirou stay at the Tohsaka Mansion until he returned. He checked his equipment once more before he left. His Contender, and a small amount of Origin Bullets. A Glock 17 was his sidearm, and a Steyr-AUG was his selected rifle.

He had his weapons, and plenty of ammunition to spare. Now all he had to do was leave. He grabbed a picture of him and Illyasviel, and Irisviel. One of the few pictures he had of all three of them. He placed it back onto the table, and left it there. It wasn't as if he was forgetting them, no he didn't want the picture to be destroyed.

Because he was a new man now. He was no longer the one once called "The Magus Killer." The Magus Killer died in that fire. He was now just Kiritsugu Emiya.

With a sad smile, he closed the door to the attic, and left his house. He had somewhere to go. He had someone to save.

-(=O=)-

"FREAK!" they screamed at her. They shoved her, and laughed, and punched her with their own, childish hands. But why wouldn't they? She really was a freak. The things that her Grandfather did to her made her like this.

Her raven colored hair now stained purple, and her once sapphire eyes morphed into the same shade of violet. Everything about her had changed ever since she became a Matou. Even her skin tone had lightened severely, although she wasn't sure if it was the worm's fault or because she spent so much time inside now.

But, to her impressionable young mind, these older, more 'normal looking' children, if they called her a freak, then that's what she must be. When they finally left her, she climbed up. Bruised and battered, she wandered her way home. She went out of her way to avoid being seen, because if anyone saw her, she feared that they too, would laugh at her. Purple hair and eyes, with the blue and black bruises from the other children.

She stumbled into the Matou house, with one of the few terms that could be used to describe her as "Bruised and battered." Eventually, she would learn that sometimes, the true monsters in the world are children, thanks to their ability to attack anyone who they didn't like. She dropped her shoes and walked inside, her eyes as empty as they were when she left the house, if not emptier.

She looked up from the floor to see her grandfather, Zouken Matou. He stared down at her, his eyes pitch black, and narrowed. He was, no doubt, examining her injuries, to see whether or not she had enough strength in her to survive that night's training.

He approached her, and she shied away slightly. He placed his hand on her chin, and lifted Sakura's head, until he made eye contact with her. He turned her head, and examined each side of her head. Satisfied, he turned away, and shuffled out of the entranceway.

Zouken turned, and looked at Sakura. The girl stared back at him, as she tried to avoid eye contact. Originally, he had wanted to the girl to be just a tool for him to use in the next Grail War, which, from what he could tell, would be occurring in around a decade. However, thanks to the meddling of the Magus Killer, the Grail would not be forming in the usual manner, which made his plans of turning the girl into a secondary Lessar Grail obsolete.

Now he would actually have to train her. So, with a glare, he said to her "We will be skipping training tonight. Tomorrow, I will start training you to use the Matou magecraft."

"Yes grandfather. Thank you grandfather," she replied. If she were to be honest, she was glad that she didn't have to spend the night in the worm room again.

The very next day, Sakura Matou would learn the basics of the Matou's absorption Magecraft. All of this, all of the knowledge she would gain was because Shirou Emiya never stopped the bullies in the park.

All of this, because Kiritsugu Emiya encountered Tokiomi Tohsaka in the woods that afternoon months previously.

-(=O=)-

Gilgamesh was a very happy man. Despite having been reincarnated, he still had access to the **[Gate of Babylon]** and all of his treasures. Had the Grail reincarnated him without those, he would have likely torn the entire city down by now. He sipped from his glass of wine, taking extra care not to spill on his shirt, which was a finely tailored, hand made from the finest quality of silks, or so he had been told.

He honestly could not care. It costed him nothing to purchase, and he felt that it was satisfactory, or at least as satisfactory as some garbage made in this era could be. Now the wine on the other hand? It was actually quite fantastic. A red wine, he believed that this was called Malbec? If this vintage continued to impress him, he might order a few cases and store them with his other treasures.

Kirei entered afterwards, and looked at Gilgamesh, who didn't even bother to glance Kirei's way. Kirei took a seat at his desk, and proceeded to open a letter addressed to him. He read it, and a smile grew ever larger on his face as he read.

Gilgamesh eventually took notice, and glanced over at the priest before he asked "What are you reading that you're enjoying so much, Kirei?"

"Just information provided to me about in next Grail War. Tohsaka modified the Grail's parameters for the next war."

Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow. Now this was starting to interest him.

"There was an emergency protocol activated," Kirei explained. "It will allow the summoning of fourteen different Servants, and this time around, the Supervisor has been chosen to legally participate as well."

A smile grew on Gilgamesh's face.

"Now Gilgamesh, would you be interested in becoming Archer of Red?"

Gilgamesh placed his wine glass down, as his smile widened. "Of course."

"Let _Red_ be the color I pay tribute to," the priest began, the arm lined with Command Seals outstretched, each one glowing.

"My will shall create your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you answer the Grail's call, and answer my will and reason, then break free from your confinement, o keeper of the balance!" Kirei chanted.

"I do swear, your offer shall become my flesh. Kirei Kotomine-I am Archer of Red, and you are my Master."

The contract was sealed. Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, and his Master, Kirei Kotomine, had sided with the Red Faction, the faction aimed with preserving the Holy Grail of Fuyuki City.

-(=O=)-

[Eight Years, Eleven Months Ago]

It was time. After a month of wandering the forests around the Einzbern Castle, Kiritsugu finally found it. The final Mana source for the final layer of defences around the castle. While he was about 100 meters away, that was mostly so he could observe the guard routes of the homunculi. He checked his Steyr Aug, and slapped a new magazine into the rifle. He had thirty-one rounds-thirty in the magazine, one in the chamber. He checked to see if the scope was dialed in properly, and then, while lying in a snow bank, he fired the rifle.

There were five guards. He only needed five shots.

Pink mist sprayed out as each one was hit. Their blood stained the snow crimson, and the homunculi dropped into the white powder. He removed his ear plugs, and then he dashed to the Mana source. With a touch, he over loaded it's processors, and fried the entire system.

The Bounded Field collapsed, and revealed the castle off in the distance. Kiritsugu ran towards the building, determined to reach his destination. He had to save her. His daughter. Illya.

When he finally reached the front doors of the castle, he immediately grabbed bricks of C-4 and placed it onto the front gate. He hid behind a tree, some twenty meters away, and detonated the explosives.

They exploded, and lit up the area quickly, before it released a wave of sound and dust. The door fell, and Kiritsugu rushed inside. To his shock, the castle was empty. Kiritsugu wandered the building, each area. All of the secret passages, the chapel. He checked each and every single room. Nothing.

He finally reached Old Man Acht's primary planning room, he kicked the door open, to see a small squad of homunculi and one of the minor Einzbern family members.

With a cry of "Oh shit," the Einzbern boy jumped behind the table, as Kiritsugu open fired on the homunculi. He took a step back to avoid their halberds, before he activated his family crest.

"Time Alter: Double Accel!" was his mantra, as he sped up how fast his body operated.

He ran back ten meters, and quickly shot all of the homunculi that dashed towards him, ready to attack. He released the effect of the spell and fired seven rounds.

Each bullet hit its target, as the shell casings bounced of the floor with a 'cling.' Kiritsugu stood up, and walked toward Acht's planning room, intent on interrogating the Einzbern boy in there.

"Get up," Kiritsugu said, his rifle pointed towards where his target was hiding.

The Einzbern climbed up, only to see Kiritsugu punch him in the face which sent the boy into unconsciousness.

Imagine this: A man who, in your community, is a famed assassin, and your family had hired him, but kept something that he should rightfully have access to. Now imagine, that you are generally someone that your family wouldn't feel to bad about if you disappeared. Now, while you're hanging around, said assassin comes along and knocks you out, then ties you to a chair with the intent of torturing you.

This is what it's like to be Jan von Einzbern, great-great-grandson to Jubstacheit von Einzbern. Currently, he was tied to a chair in Acht's planning room. Of course, he had been beaten for the past half hour or so, as he denied to answer Kiritsugu's very simple question.

"Where is my daughter?" he asked again.

Jan spat out some blood and a tooth before he glared at the Emiya. "Fuck you."

Kiritsugu punched the man once more. Jan's head flew back, his nose broken. Blood leaked down his face onto his white robes.

"Where did Acht take my daughter? Illyasviel von Einzbern?"

"I already told you, you fucking traitor," Jan muttered, bubbles being formed from the blood that washed over his lips. "If Jubastacheit doesn't want her to be found, _then she won't be fuckin' found._"

Kiritsugu's eyes were empty. He reached for his side holster, and removed the Glock 17 he had stored there. "Not good enough," he replied as he pulled back on the pistol's hammer.

Jan's eyes widened as Kiritsugu placed the barrel of the pistol on Jan's left knee.

"Answer the question: Where is Illyasviel von Einzbern?"

"I don't know," Jan spat.

Kiritsugu pulled the trigger. The sound of a gunshot echoed out as a bullet was fired through his knee. Jan screamed. There was no way to be able to contain that pain. Even after being beaten repetitively, this was nothing.

"Do I have to ask again?" Kiritsugu said. The man's eyes were cold.

With a wild glare, Jan stared into Kiritsugu's eyes. "I don't know for fuck's sake!"

Kiritsugu fired the pistol into the other knee. Jan screamed once more.

"This is your last chance," Kiritsugu warned, as he leveled the pistol as Jan's stomach. "Tell me what I want to know, or I'll shoot you and leave you to bleedout."

There was a reason why Kiritsugu Emiya was considered a demon to many Magi families. It was because, when he needed to be, he was colder than ice. Eat your vegetables, or the Magus Killer will get you. The warnings were more effective that those of the 'Boogey Man.' After all, the parents weren't scared of the 'Boogey Man,' but they were scared of Kiritsugu Emiya.

So, with the most amount of courage he had ever had in his entire life, Jan decided what to do. "I mean it! I don't know! Please, just don't kill me!" he screamed. All of his courage was dedicated to being able to speak.

Kiritsugu removed a cigarette, and lit it. He took a drag, before he aimed the pistol at Jan.

"Please don't," he begged.

"You bastards have my daughter. I don't care what you want."

He pulled the trigger. Another gunshot echoed out, the bullet impacting Jan von Einzbern. It ripped through him, and left him bleeding in the chair. With a flick, Kiritsugu sent the cigarette flying into a wall, as he left the room. He walked outside, before collapsing onto his knees in the snow.

He cried, as he slammed his hand onto the ground.

"Why? Why god damn it?! Why can't you just let me see her?!" he screamed into the wilderness.

In a week, he would return home, to learn about his son's progress in magecraft. Despite his sadness, over not seeing his daughter, he knew that he'd see Illya again one day. When that was, he wasn't sure, but Kiritsugu would be ready for it.

-(=O=)-

Jubastacheit von Einzbern read the report of Kiritsugu Emiya's return. It appeared that the man had come with the intent on reuniting with his daughter, but that wasn't possible at the time. Thanks to the Magus Killer's actions, Jubastacheit too, had to change the Einzbern family's plans for the next Holy Grail War. With the system for fourteen Servants _plus_ a Ruler class Servant activated, he had to win the Grail War this time, for sure.

And what better way to do it than reversing the modifications on the daughter of the last vessel and Emiya, and sending her to kill her father?

Of course, he'd just remove the contents of the Lesser Grail from her, as well as, the life span and other negative parts of homunculi, but to send the man's daughter to kill him, not even ten years from now? It would be the perfect form of revenge.

-(=O=)-

_there was once a __**man**_

_who had two __**daughters**_

_both daughters were very special_

_the older daughter was called an_

"_**average one"**_

_while the youngest daughter had control over_

"_**imaginary numbers"**_

_the man wanted his daughters to succeed_

_but, he could only raise one to success_

_so, the oldest one, stayed with him_

_and the youngest one_

_was adopted by some old family friends_

_but the youngest one_

_was very sad, because_

_her new family_

_was very, very mean_

_she would not have her sister's success_

_for a very, very long time_


	3. Chapter Two: The Kids Are Alright

**Chapter Two: The Kids Are Alright**

-(=O=)-

[Five Years, One Month Ago]

He grunted as he moved another box into their new house. Ayaka carried her bags in, and watched her father carry boxes into their new home. Hiroki Sajyou was a Magus who carried with him an overwhelming desire to reach the Root. The Sajyou family were practitioners of what could generally be called "Black Magic," among other forms of Magecraft. For example: while Black Magic is what the Sajyou family's crest is primarily built on, they also have skills in other forms of Magecraft, such as forms of Witchcraft involving potion brewing, and several curses.

So, after they finished moving into their new house, as a new family of magi moving into a new city, they immediately went to see the Second Owner of their new home: Fuyuki City, on the outskirts of Shinto city. That morning, it snowed heavily for the coastal city, leaving fifteen centimeters of snow that blanketed the city.

The Sajyou family piled into their small sedan, Hiroki Sajyou in the driver's seat, with Ayaka in the back, and Ayaka's older sister Manaka in the passenger seat. Her father drove across the city. Once they reached the residence of the Second Owner, they stepped out of the car, all of them dressed in their best clothes, and walked up to the front door. Ayaka kept her head hung low, as Manaka stood tall and proud.

Her father knocked on the front door, and waited for someone to answer. Footsteps echoed from inside, until the door opened, revealing a tired looking man dressed in a black suit and tie, with similarly colored raven hair. A bit of stubble was visible on his chin, and he asked them "Hello? What can I do for you?"

Hiroki straightened up, before he spoke. "Mr. Tohsaka, my name is Hiroki Sajyou and-"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not Tokiomi Tohsaka," the man interrupted, before he ducked back into the house and called out into the building "Hey, Tokiomi! There's someone here to see you!"

The man looked back outside and said to them "Please, come in Mr. Sajyou. Tokiomi will see you in a minute."

The entered the household, and the man guided them to the second floor into what appeared to be an office. A man sat behind a desk, dressed in a sharp red suit. His blue eyes, looked up, as he greeted them with a professional "Hello."

The Sajyous sat down in a few chairs that were placed in front of the Tohsaka patriarch's desk. The family glanced at each other nervously, before the man seated before them spoke.

"My name is Tokiomi Tohsaka. What is it that you needed to see my about?" he introduced himself.

"My name is Hiroki Sajyou, and this is my eldest daughter Manaka," he answered as he pointed at the blonde teenager to his left, "and my youngest daughter Ayaka. We're a Magus family, and we've recently moved to Fuyuki City from Tokyo."

Tokiomi nodded. "I would assume that you would like to establish a workshop?" he asked, as he pulled out some papers from inside his desk.

"Yes please," Hiroki replied. Manaka kept a polite smile, as she listened to what her father and the Second Owner were discussing. She was seventeen at the time, and provided that she was going to continue her life as a Magus, she would need to learn how to interact with a Second Owner. Ayaka, being twelve at the time, and as opposed to her sister had no intentions of being a Magus, didn't listen to what they were saying. Her eyes wandered the room, and she examined every part of it from her seat.

She turned back towards the Tohsaka, and she watched her father sign the Geis that would permit him to establish a workshop in the city.

Tokiomi coughed, as he spoke. "Now, Mr. Sajyou, I will need to speak to you about something that isn't considered…" he paused briefly, as he considered his choice in words. "Suitable for children that may affect you in the near future."

Hiroki nodded. His face was blank, but his thought processes immediately started to worry for his children.

"Is it alright with you if I ask Kiritsugu here to see Ms. Ayaka to where my daughter and Kiritsugu's son are? I assure you, she will not be harmed while you are here."

Hiroki nodded, and Kiritsugu stood. He held out his hand to the girl, who was at that precious age where she was no longer a child, but not quite a teenager yet. She left her seat, and followed the man dressed in black to where two children her age were talking to each other excitedly.

"Shirou, Rin," the man called to them. They stopped, and looked at the man and girl.

The boy replied with "Yes Dad?" while the girl answered with a "Yes Kiritsugu?"

"This is Ayaka Sajyou. Her father is applying for a workshop here in the city, and Tokiomi and Mr. Sajyou are discussing business information," Kiritsugu explained to the two other children.

"What kind of information?" the boy questioned, with curiosity evident in his voice.

"Adult business stuff, Shirou," Kiritsugu replied sarcastically. He and Tokiomi would tell the two later about what Mr. Sajyou will say about the Grail War. He, and if he knew Tokiomi, had already came to that conclusion. "Can you two look after Ms. Ayaka until we're done?"

There was a synchronised response of yes, as the two children took Ayaka's hand and started to ask her about her life. The naturally shy girl had no idea what to do, and so, just answered their questions blankly.

Kiritsugu returned to Tokiomi's office, and sat on the couch behind Manaka Sajyou and Hiroki Sajyou. "Now that Kiritsugu has returned," Tokiomi began, "I will explain what will be happening. In what I believe to be less that ten years from now, another Holy Grail War will be fought. As you, and your family members are Magi, I recommended that you are extra careful during that time."

"A magus, during the time that a Grail War occurs, are very vulnerable, from Masters targeting them to potentially eliminate competition, to having their families being tortured for information regarding their relatives who could, or are, confirmed to be Masters."

Hiroki nodded.

"If you, and your family members are confirmed not to be Masters during that time, I recommend that you leave the city for a while. Take a vacation for your safety," Tokiomi advised. It truly was the best way to stay safe.

"What exactly is the Holy Grail War?" Manaka questioned.

Tokiomi's and Kiritsugu's faces were completely serious. "It is a war, normally fought between seven pairs consisting of a Master, and a Heroic Spirit which was summoned as a Servant."

The blonde haired teenager stared at Tokiomi. "Heroic Spirits, like King Arthur? Like Alexander the Great? Like Hercules?"

Tokiomi nodded. "It may sound fantastic, but it is not something worth experiencing. Trust me on this."

The girl slumped back, and nodded. This was when Manaka Sajyou's obsession with the Holy Grail War began. When she, her father, and her sister met with the Second Owner of Fuyuki City, and she learned of her chance to summon her Prince.

King Arthur, the King of Knights. The man she had secretly admired since her childhood. "My Prince" as she once called him, back when she was still so very young.

Hiroki nodded. He was oblivious to his daughters rapidly growing obsession, but he was aware of the carnage that Heroic Spirits could wreck upon the land. He connected the dots together in his mind. The damage that was done to Fuyuki five years previously, it must have been caused by the Grail War.

He glanced at Tokiomi, fear in his eyes, and Tokiomi just nodded sadly. It was true. The disaster that killed that many people in this very city could occur once more, and this time, his daughters might get caught up in all of it. While he was desperate to reach the Root, he wasn't so desperate that he would expose his only remaining family to that.

He stood, and bowed, loudly thanking Tokiomi for his help and hospitality. He then turned, and did the same to Kiritsugu, who nodded.

Tokiomi smiled a sad smile. "Kiritsugu, can you please show Mr. Sajyou and Ms. Manaka to where Ms. Ayaka is?"

Kiritsugu nodded wordlessly, and left the office. He led them to where Ayaka, Shirou and Rin were reading something on the computer he had insisted that Tokiomi buy.

"Ayaka," Hiroki said, and the girl looked towards her father. "It's time to go home."

Ayaka nodded. As she was about to leave the room, she stopped, and waved to Shirou and Rin, a small smile present on her face. "Bye! Hopefully we'll see each other again!" she called out.

They too, smiled and waved bye to the girl, wishing her a safe trip home. Ayaka skipped to the front door. Hiroki followed her, happy that she had made some friends. Manaka followed wordlessly, distracted by the possibility that she could finally meet her Prince.

As they drove away from the Tohsaka Mansion, Ayaka leaned forward and asked, "Dad, can we get a computer?"

Confusion spread across her father's face as she asked that question. "I'm sorry Ayaka, what's a computer?"

She blinked, then answered him. "It's like, a library, shoved into a small box, and you can do all this cool stuff on it! Rin and Shirou both have one."

-(=O=)-

Tokiomi watched the Sajyous leave the building, their old car bouncing from indents on the road. Kiritsugu closed the door to the office, and sat down on one of the couches. Tokiomi stared out, and watched the snow fall down to the pavement.

The sound of a bottle of scotch being uncorked rang out, and the sound of two glasses being filled followed. Kiritsugu tapped Tokiomi, and handed him a glass. They drank silently, and just absorbed the view of the night sky.

"It really would be terrible to see his family be torn apart by the war," Tokiomi muttered.

Kiritsugu nodded, and drank. "I think it would mostly because of how it would be so familiar. It would be something that we've seen before, and we don't want to see it again."

Tokiomi nodded in agreement. The continued to sit there, just talking for the next several hours. The clock struck midnight, and fireworks flew up into the air. Each one exploded into a brilliant array of colors and patterns. They broadcasted everyone's celebrations.

Kiritsugu smiled, and tapped his hand on Tokiomi's back.

"Happy New Year, Tokiomi," he said.

"Happy New Year, my friend," the other man replied.

They would later find Shirou and Rin curled up on the couch in the living room, sleeping gently. The fathers pulled out blankets, and wrapped up their children, and left them to sleep beside the warmth of a the fireplace. Although it was just a distraction for them, a delusion that the world would be alright, that these peaceful days would last. But for now, the kids are alright.

-(=O=)-

Half a world away, Ruler was enjoying his Fifth of the modern celebrations of the beginning of a new year. Although, for him, it was closer to being dawn than midnight. A rather beautiful woman beside him, he stretched out, enjoying the pleasures of his new life. While he had, from what the Grail constantly whispered to him, less that five years until the next Grail War, he felt no hurry. Afterall, five years was, at least, according to someone who was taking his time to enjoy life, a long time.

He lifted up an empty bottle of this bubbling wine that he had been told was used for celebrations. He honestly wondered if King of Heroes, that Gilgamesh, would have enjoyed it, with his incredibly high tastes. He took a drink from the bottle, and leaned back in thought.

It had been nearly five years since he was summoned in the Fourth Holy Grail War, that much he could remember. He had learned many things since then, such as how 'Oceanus' did not truly exist, but to him, that did not matter. It existed inside of him, deep within his heart. For if he were to give up on that goal, that dream of reaching Oceanus, he would be destroying the thing most precious to him- His friendship, his bonds with his armies, his reason for being considered a king.

He still believed that Oceanus could be reached, but not as he had once considered it to be so. No, it was plain to see that Oceanus is something else that he must seek out and find, for otherwise, he would have nothing. To be honest, that thrilled him. Being able to seek out something completely unknown, it made him happy once more, and he knew, that if he spoke to his armies once more, they would agree with him.

To seize, without destruction. To take, without demolishing. To win the hearts of the people you conquer, that is the true form of conquering a land, and he was ready to continue after he finished his quest in the upcoming Fifth Holy Grail War. He stretched out his hand, a large grin spread across his face. Once more, he planned for his future. Once more, Iskander planned his future conquests.

-(=O=)-

[Four Years, Ten Months Ago]

Sakura Matou was not having a good time. While it wasn't like she was being forced into a dungeon full of worms, no, she had to endure the constant glances that her spineless brother shot everywhere while she walked with him. You see, she was starting middle school today, which meant, as she was going to the same school as her brother, she would have to see the Tohsaka girl again.

The girl that once was her sister.

She scanned her surroundings, unconsciously choosing certain areas which would be prime locations to plant her familiars. Over the years, Sakura Matou had found that because of the Matou magecraft, she had amazing control over various forms of insect familiars. Of course, their crest was made of larvae, but she originally thought they were actual worms.

Rather than what her grandfather used, which was various forms of larvae, worms, and beetles, and the beetles Uncle Kariya had apparently once used, Sakura had found an insect which fit her perfectly. A colony that few people would be surprised at, especially in Japan, a species of insects that had a queen that they essentially worshipped.

Sakura Matou had found comfort in bees. With that, during the warmer months of the year, it wasn't that uncommon to find at least five beehives on the Matou's property. Of course, they receive numerous notifications from Tokiomi Tohsaka to keep the bee familiars under control, as the Matous were not honey farmers, and the police mistaking the hives for a farm might have the chance of exposing magecraft to the surrounding populace.

Sakura almost wished that that event could occur, just because it would make the Tohsaka clan have a huge headache. She entered the school, and her brother immediately shouted "Goodbye" to her as he ran off to see some other people.

She assumed that they were classmates of his. Then she saw her for the first time in years. Rin Tohsaka. Her biological sister. Sakura walked coolly up to the bulletin board that listen the classes that students would be in. She was placed in 1-A. She turned around, and walked to her classroom. She watched from the window as her sister spoke to a boy with orange hair, and a girl with black hair and glasses, as if her sister didn't have a care in the world.

"Lucky her," Sakura muttered with a scowl.

Of course, she didn't particularly care that her sister was being prepared for a fight to the death, like she herself was. Her sister actually had friends, instead of being known as "That freak with the purple hair," or, by the end of elementary school, "That freak that nearly killed Touma Tanaka."

Rin looked up, and frowned. She didn't wave, but she nodded. That was about the most that they could acknowledge each other, apart from interacting as "The Tohsaka heiress," and "The Matou heiress." It was immediately after that one nod that the orange boy doubled over coughing. Sakura looked away at that point. She didn't want to see her sister showing more care for some boy than she ever showed her for the past five years.

She would not speak to Rin Tohsaka for two months, and when she did, she would finally meet the boy that would, in another world, be her precious 'Senpai,' but in this world, would just be known as "The Emiya Heir," or, once she spoke to her grandfather, he would tell her that in the future, her senpai might be known as "The New Magus Killer."

-(=O=)-

_the man truly was a monster._

_the one known as the_

"_magus killer"_

_he killed_

_and killed_

_and killed_

_and killed_

_for what?_

_to look good?_

_for money?_

_for sport?_

_no one would ever_

_believe that it was for the_

_undeniable noble concept_

_called_

"_world peace"_

_the man was too dark for that_

_there was no way that he_

_had noble intentions_

_so, was it truly such a surprise_

_that instead of summoning the_

"_**king of knights"**_

_the man summoned_

_a __**man**__ with similar ideals_

_and similar methods to the man_

_while using a catalyst connected_

_to the other man_

_so they set out, to fight for justice_

_the "magus killer"_

_and_

"_the king of fakers"_


	4. Chapter Three: For Those About to Rock

**Chapter Three: For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)**

-(=O=)-

"There was once a King," the man said as he scratched his silver-grey beard. "During his time, he was the greatest person in the land. He was strong, fair, and just. He would respect everyone, and lived to keep his kingdom strong."

"But one day, that changed. He was left to protect his country, and had to leave his castle. During that time, a Knight claimed to be the King's child, and took over the kingdom. When the King returned, he was met with rebellion from the Knight. They fought a great battle, and many people died," the man explained to the children gathered.

"When there was nearly no one left, the King and the Knight met each other in battle. The King won, and killed the treacherous Knight, but the Knight wounded the king so terribly that the King too, died."

The man smiled. The children around him were frowning, as they considered the story to be sad. "But the man had a dream, so he too, returned to the world. This man, no, this King, was the most noble of them all, and so, he was called, the King of Knights.

-(=O=)-

[Two Months Ago]

She was as ready as she would ever be. A summoning circle, made of pure silver, was created in the small chapel. Grandfather had said that her father had performed the ritual in the chapel back in the old castle, so she had found it fitting that she too, would summon her Servant inside a chapel. She placed down her now-empty wine glass, and walked to the front of the room. A brilliant magic circle, made only of the purest of silver was there.

She brushed back her platinum blonde, nearly white, hair, and spoke.

_"Let silver and steel be the essence._

_Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation._

_Let __**{red}**__ be the color I pay tribute to._

_Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall._

_Let the four cardinal gates close._

_Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate."_

These words were the beginning of the ritual to summon a Heroic Spirit in the form of a Servant in the Holy Grail War. However, the first verse was modified to reflect the unnatural nature of this war: a line added, to make the Servant be one of a faction. In this case, it is of the "Red" faction. The faction that has sided with the Einzbern family, with the goal of maintaining the Holy Grail War. The woman continued the ritual, and with each word that passed, the circle grew brighter and brighter as Prana was used to summon the Servant.

_"Let it be declared now; your flesh shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with your sword._

_Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail._

_Answer, if you would submit to this will and this truth."_

The second verse was completed. There was no time to waste-if she messed up here, then she truly would have failed. Any line that differs could mean her Servant could be too weak, not the one she wanted, or she might not even be able to summon a Servant at all. It was all or nothing.

_"I shall make an oath here._

_I shall become the guardian of Heaven in the eternal world;_

_I shall be the destroyer of all evils of all of Hell in the eternal world."_

One last verse. That's all she had to do.

_"From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power,_

_come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance!"_

She felt a sudden drain of her Prana, and she knew that she had succeeded as the room becomes filled with a blinding light, as her Servant came down to the world. A knight, who wore silver armor over crimson clothing, stood in front of her. A horned helmet covered the knight's face, and a red and silver sword, and a similarly colored scabbard that encased the sword.

"So, you're my Master?" Saber asked.

The summoner nodded. "My name is Illyasviel von Einzbern. I am your Master."

"I see. A chapel, huh? Interesting choice. I am no Jeanne d'Arc, but I have some respect those of the faith."

"You will not find any priests here. Now, if I may ask, are you Saber of Red?"

The tipped their helmet. "Yes, indeed I am. Do I look like a Caster of Assassin to you?"

The summoner smiled. Her victory was assured with this. To have summoned Saber, her goal was complete. "No, you do not. Now, please answer me once more," the Master began. "Are you Mordred?"

Saber stiffens, before they removed their helmet, and revealed the face of a girl. "Yes, I am Mordred- the true successor to Arthur Pendragon- The King of Knights."

Mordred looked at her Master, before she too asked, "And what is your name, Master?"

The woman grinned at her Servant. "My name is Illyasviel von Einzbern."

This was her chance. Her chance for revenge against her father, who abandoned her, and against her adopted brother, who replaced her. Confident with her victory, Illyasviel von Einzbern would leave for Fuyuki City the very next day.

-(=O=)-

[Three Days Ago]

Ayaka Sajyou returned home late that night. It was not entirely her fault- Rin had pulled her aside after school to lend her some books from the Tohsaka mansion, so by the time Ayaka had returned home, it was nearly time for dinner at her house. She walked to the front door and unlocked it, and entered her home. The first thing she noticed is that all of the lights were off. It was unusual, as the lights were always on by this time of night.

She carefully put the books down, and walked into the building. Even at the back of the house, the lights were off. It was completely dark inside, as no light entered. She crept around the house, until she found the staircase to their basement. A soft, blue glow bled out from the subterranean room, where the family's workshop was kept.

A glowing summoning circle was present, and a cloaked figure stood in the center of it, the person's features hidden by a hood draped over their face. Ayaka's sister stood before the figure, her hands and clothes bloodied, and a set of crimson runes shined in the darkness.

Command Seals. Ayaka knew what they were, as she had seen Rin's and Shirou's Command Seals, but to think that her sister had a set? It scared her. Her sister might kill the some of the only friends Ayaka ever made. She looked over the workshop floor, and saw something worse. A blood soaked hand, lying beside the summoning circle, and behind the cloaked person was her father, lying in a pool of what she assumed was his own blood, a stump present at his right elbow.

Then, it all made sense. Her sister had killed their father. Her sister had committed patricide, all for a chance to fight in the Holy Grail War. When she realised what this meant, Ayaka screamed. She backed up the stairs, then spun, and ran to the door, and grabbed her books and her bag.

She had to escape. She had to escape. She had to escape. She had to escape. She had to escape. She had to escape. She had to escape. She had to escape. She had to escape. She had to escape. She had to escape. She had to escape. She had to escape. She had to escape.

She sprinted through town, and made her way to somewhere she knew that she'd be safe at: the home of Rin Tohsaka.

-(=O=)-

[One Day Ago]

Kiritsugu sat in a small apartment he had rented. He had chosen to perform the summoning ritual in this apartment, one of many he had rented to use as various forms of safe houses. A simple, chalk summoning circle was drawn onto the floor, and, while it would still function, it would allow him to quickly remove the circle from the room later. He sighed, and put down the can of coffee he had with him.

It was nearly the time when his prana would be at its peak. He stood, and prepared to summon his Servant as the clock struck midnight. He then began the ritual, and the aria used came naturally to him, as if he was ten years ago, when he summoned Saber in the Fourth Holy Grail War.

_"Let silver and steel be the essence._

_Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation._

_Let __**{blue}**__ be the color I pay tribute to._

_Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall._

_Let the four cardinal gates close._

_Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate._

_Let it be declared now; your flesh shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with your sword._

_Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail._

_Answer, if you would submit to this will and this truth._

_I shall make an oath here._

_I shall become the guardian of Heaven in the eternal world;_

_I shall be the destroyer of all evils of all of Hell in the eternal world._

_From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power,_

_come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance!"_

Prana surged, and flew around the room, whipping up loose papers as it did. A person began to take form, called down from a place unimaginable to Kiritsugu. Called by a set of shared ideals, by an ideal passed down from one man to another. A shared identity, the identity of a "Hero of Justice."

Light flashed, as the Servant was summoned. Wrapped in a red waist coat and sleeves, with black body armor unrecognizable to Kiritsugu. The Servant had white hair, and his skin was heavily tanned, and his eyes, a strange mixture of silver and black, show an emptiness inside of the man.

He raised his head, and spoke. "I am Archer of Blue, in this Fifth Holy Grail. If I may ask, are you my Master?"

Kiritsugu nodded, and revealed the cross shaped Command Seals on his hand. "I am. Welcome back to this time period of the living Archer."

Archer frowned. In almost every other Fifth Holy Grail War he had encountered, Kiritsugu was dead. It was nearly always Rin Tohsaka who summoned him, with the occasional exception of Sakura, be it when she carried the name Matou or Tohsaka, Luvia Edelfeldt, or, like that one time, his younger self. Shirou Emiya. There was this nagging sensation in the back of Archer's head whispering that Kiritsugu had been his Master once before, but it was truly Rin who summoned him, and Kiritsugu played advisor to his younger self and the girl.

The boy who was adopted by Archer's Master. By his father. Of course, the question was raised, did this Kiritsugu Emiya ever adopt Shirou Emiya? It was possible. There had been times when the man who adopted the boy who would become Shirou was the bastard Kotomine.

But for now, Archer had to worry about Kiritsugu's last comment. Was he summoned during the Fourth War? Or did Kiritsugu somehow know who Archer was? He had to see.

"I'm sorry Master, but what did you mean when you said "Welcome back to this time period?""

"Ah, yes," Kiritsugu nodded. "I summoned you during the Fourth Holy Grail War, Archer, although you were known as 'Saber' during that time."

Interesting. So if he was summoned before, that could explain how Kiritsugu had survived. He wasn't too familiar with being summoned as Saber, but he remembered that he still had Independent Action, even as a Saber, and so it was likely he had survived for long enough to heal Kiritsugu with **[Avalon]**.

"So, Master, if I may ask, how many other Masters do you know of? From what the Grail has told me, I should be part of a faction of sorts, which will be used to defeat the other faction."

Kiritsugu pulled a notebook from his pocket, and flipped through to a page. He then handed the book to Archer, who started to read.

"From what I've been able to see, the Archer of Red is Gilgamesh, and has Kirei Kotomine as his Master. Kotomine is also this war's supervisor from the Catholic Church," Kiritsugu began, as he started packing a duffel bag with what appeared to be a disassembled sniper rifle. "Assassin of Blue will be summoned by an acquaintance of mine, named Kairi Sisigou. My son plans on summoning Saber of Blue, and personally, I believe that he has a likely chance to do so."

There was Archer's confirmation on one thing. The existence of Shirou Emiya. There, on the page, beside the boy's name written neatly in blue ink, was a name for likely Servants. The top of the list had the name "King Arthur" written on it.

Archer frowned. So, Kiritsugu still gave Avalon to Shirou. Did he pass along his ideals too?

"We have also hired Luviagelita Edelfelt to summon a Servant for our side, although she will only likely do so for the money I have spent, as the Edelfelt clan still despise the Tohsaka clan, and having "Fought in a Holy Grail War for the Magus Killer" likely won't help her resumé," Kiritsugu joked.

Archer looked up from the page. Kiritsugu making a joke? Now he was becoming closer to the man Archer once looked up to.

Archer kept reading. The list was very comprehensive, as to be expected from the man once known as the Magus Killer. Every detail that he could cram onto the page was there. Names, possible Servants, possible Servant classes, it was impressive. He compartmentalized the data listed, and sorted the information into who was in each faction, and general information about them.

Kiritsugu slung the bag that carried his rifle on his bag, and accepted the notebook back from Archer. Archer dissolved into spirit form, and Kiritsugu left the front door, his black trench coat blowing in the wind behind him as he closed off the door to the apartment. It was time to go to war.

-(=O=)-

[Day One]

To Shirou Emiya, the Holy Grail War was a challenge. A challenge to prove himself, to prove that he was worthy to take up his father's ideals. Worthy to take over his father's quest of becoming a Hero. Years ago, Kiritsugu had once warned him that the thing he was to do would change him, and Shirou accepted that. If it changed him for the better, maybe he really would be fit to call himself a hero. If not, then maybe he would one day take up the mantle of "Magus Killer."

It all depended on fighting in the Grail War.

However, before he could do that, he needed to summon a Servant. He had already received his Command Seals, and now, he just needed to sit in on Rin's summoning, then he'd be on his way home. Of course, the fact that Ayaka's sister was a Master bothered him, but his friend had told him not to worry about it. To be a magus is to walk with death, and Ayaka knew that. Shirou supposed that it was touching that Ayaka had that much confidence in her friends, but still, it was concerning that Ayaka might have to bury her father and her sister by the end of the Grail War.

As for right now, he waited for the kettle to boil as Rin summoned her Servant. Tokiomi was out of town apparently visiting a magus who might be willing to assist the blue faction in the upcoming war. Ayaka was in the guest room that had been provided for her, and Rin was in her family's workshop, and was in the process of summoning a Servant.

The kettle came to a boil, and he reached out to pour it with a yawn, just as the lights in the house flickered out. A sickening crash echoed out from the sitting room, and Shirou blinked as he poured the tea. He wiped off his hands, and picked up the tray that held on top of it a teapot and several tea cups. He looked into the sitting room to see a man sprawled across a pile of rubble.

The man's green-blonde hair was spiked up, and his shirt and pants were dyed black, and he wore silver and grey armor over his chest, shins, feet, shoulders, and wrists. An orange strip of cloth, familiar to a scarf was wrapped around his chest. He looked towards Shirou with a confident smile, and asked "Hey there. I guess that you're my Master?"

"No," Shirou said. Really, how would he explain this? "I'm not your Master. Your real Master will be arriving shortly. I think."

Seconds after he finished speaking, the door to the sitting room was kicked open, and revealed Rin, her fingers pointed, ready to shoot off her signature Gandr shot. She blinked when she saw the man who lounged on the sofa, and Shirou, who was seated in a chair, calmly drinking tea.

"I assume that you're my Master then?" the man asked. He sat up a little straighter, a relaxed grin on his face.

Rin straightened herself somewhat, her eyes still narrow. "I might be. Who are you?"

"I am Rider of Blue!" Rider proclaimed.

Rin nodded. "My name is Rin Tohsaka. Is it safe to assume that you are the Heroic Spirit Achilles?"

Rider shrugged. "Is it truly that wise to ask me that with someone who is potentially an enemy Master?"

Rin narrowed her eyes. "That someone is a good friend of mine, Rider. He will be our ally in the Holy Grail War, do you understand me?"

Rider shrugged. "So be it. I am Achilles, a Hero of the Trojan War. If you expect to order me around constantly, then let me warn you- I served no kings during life, and I will not do so now, unless I feel that I truly need to."

"I hope you will at least listen to my opinions then, Rider," she said, as she flicked back some of her hair.

"I'll do my best, Master," Rider replied, a casual grin present on him.

Shirou just sighed, and handed Rin a cup of tea, before she could become too upset over her Servant's attitude.

"Rin!" he called to her. "I'm going to go home. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

She watched him leave, and waved to him as he left. She sighed, and looked back at Rider, who still lounged on the couch. "So, are you two engaged?" the Servant asked.

Rin glared at him. She silently begged that he wouldn't say anything. She really did not want to hear anything else from him...

"When's the wedding?"

"DAMN YOU RIDER!" she yelled.

-(=O=)-

Sakura Matou too, was summoning her Servant that night. Unlike the Emiya patriarch, she wasn't able to summon her Servant inside an easily disposable safehouse, and unlike the Tohsaka heiress, she couldn't do it from the comfort of her workshop, no, she had to to it from the dark, decrepit basement of the Matou house. A stray worm crawled pass, as the summoning circle flared in light and mana, with wind that whipped around the basement. She didn't move, unfazed by the events. It was just a simple act, meant to create what could be basically described as an advanced familiar.

Her right hand that had her Command Seals present on it was stretched out, and each Command Seal glowed red.

There were reasons why she was doing this, many, many different reasons, but the primary was revenge. She wanted, no, needed to kill Zouken Matou. She had to maim her foster brother so much he would never question her again. She needed to torture Tokiomi Tohsaka to death for abandoning her. She had to destroy Kiritsugu Emiya for killing Uncle Kariya. But most of all, she would have her revenge on Rin Tohsaka, for daring to be happy when she, Sakura Matou, was given up, and forced to live with the monsters that are the Matou. For being happy while her sister was being turned into a monster.

She finished her ritual, and, with a flash of light, her Servant was summoned. The woman in front of her kneeled, and her long purple hair pooled in loops on the floor. The woman was scantily clad, and wore a short skirt and stockings, leaving large sections of skin exposed.

"I am Rider of Red. I ask, are you my master?" the woman asked, and Sakura smiled.

Her plans were just beginning.

-(=O=)-

_"Let silver and steel be the essence._

_Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation._

_Let __**{blue}**__ be the color I pay tribute to."_

He started the ritual with those words, as blue light poured forth from the magic circle in his workshop. Shirou spoke the words he had memorised by heart, with the images of his ideals floating inside of him.

"_Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall._

_Let the four cardinal gates close._

_Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate."_

The wind was starting to pick up now, and Shirou could feel his mana drain rapidly as the ritual commenced. He was close now, to summoning a Heroic Spirit, a legend of old, to fight for him, to fight with him.

"_Let it be declared now; your flesh shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with your sword._

_Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail._

_Answer, if you would submit to this will and this truth."_

Since he started the ritual, he had been feeling something deep inside of him, pulling to something, someone, somewhere, at some time. That was good, the catalyst was working. The power of the King of Knight's dreams, the Noble Phantasm known as **[Avalon]** would indeed call to a Heroic Spirit, even if it was implanted inside someone.

"_I shall make an oath here._

_I shall become the guardian of Heaven in the eternal world;_

_I shall be the destroyer of all evils of all of Hell in the eternal world."_

This was true. He would become the savior of Heaven in the eternal world. He would become the destroyer of all the evils in the eternal world. He could feel it deep inside of him.

"_From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power,_

_come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance!"_

Home stretch. Here it is, the final lines, the last key. The ambient Mana whipped around the room, and the wind blew away anything light enough to be lifted. Light bursted, as his Command Seals glowed on the back of his left hand.

When the wind and light died down, he saw his Servant. A man clad in silvery armor, definitive of medieval knights, with a blue shirt underneath, and a waist-coat that was a similar shade of blue. His eyes were emerald, and his messy hair was blonde. The man kneeled, his glowing sword, that was crafted beautifully, with a blue grip and golden cross-guard, and pointed into the ground. Shirou could tell at a glance which sword it was.

"I am Arthur Pendragon, King of Knights, and the true King of Britain, and I have been summoned as Saber of Blue. I ask of you, are you my Master?" the man asked Shirou, a confident smile on his face.

Shirou raised his Command Seals and replied. "Saber, I am Shirou Emiya, your Master. Tell me, do you wish to win the Grail?"

-(=O=)-

_and so, the contest continued once more_

_the daughters, and sons,_

_and even fathers previously seen,_

_all fighting for what they believe is best_

_to save the world through destruction_

_or doom it through salvation?_

_to be praised as_

_(false) heroes to a select few?_

_or to be unknown as true heroes,_

_to the entire world?_

_only they can decide,_

_as it is their choices_

_that will shape the world,_

_for eons to come._

-(=O=)-

**a/n**

**WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE?**

Servant stats available from my profile, or from

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